CVE-2023-2861

Guest-to-host escape via unchecked special-file opens

Published Dec 6, 2023 · Updated Aug 2, 2024

Improper access control in QEMU 9pfs before 8.1.0 allows guest OS users to escape an exported 9p tree by opening a host device file. The open and openat paths accepted special files without verifying that the resulting descriptor referred to a regular file or directory. Exploitation requires either root-run QEMU with the local 9p driver in passthrough mode or the root-run proxy helper, and grants access outside the exported tree.

CVSS severity6.0
Medium
EPSS probability0.38%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Improper access control in QEMU 9pfs before 8.1.0 allows guest OS users to escape an exported 9p tree by opening a host device file. The open and openat paths accepted special files without verifying that the resulting descriptor referred to a regular file or directory. Exploitation requires either root-run QEMU with the local 9p driver in passthrough mode or the root-run proxy helper, and grants access outside the exported tree.

The record

CVE
CVE-2023-2861
Published
Dec 6, 2023
Updated
Aug 2, 2024
Vendor
QEMU Project
Product
QEMU
Classifications
CWE-284, T1068
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Dec 6, 2023CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 2, 2024Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=0 <=8.1.0

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

QEMU Project · QEMUversion=0 <=8.1.0

Published CVSS scores

7.1NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N
6.0Red HatCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

No observations available

Sep 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-284Improper Access Control
T1068Exploitation for Privilege Escalation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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